Johnnycake Jog: Runners hope to Keep Calm' with 2014 T-shirt design

Most everybody has seen the “Keep Calm and Carry On” meme that has been altered endlessly and circulated around the internet and on t-shirts in its various forms. The origins of the phrase, however, has not been consumed as much as its first three words.
The first usage of “Keep Calm and Carry On” was actually a motivational-propaganda campaign sanctioned by the British Ministry of Information in late June of 1939, following the Blitz of the United Kingdom by Nazi Germany. The posters were never used publicly, going largely unheard of until copies surfaced in England in 2000, going viral in the late 2000’s.
The positive motivation of the original poster, imploring those who see it to push through adversity as if it never showed itself, was the catalyst for Don Provident, the 45-year old Mentor resident and 25-time Johnnycake Jog participant who crafted the design for the 2014 Jog’s “Keep Calm and Jog On” t-shirt.
“I was trying to come up with something contemporary and it just hit me. My concept was to capture the mental toughness one must have to complete the race, especially the last 2 miles on Mentor Avenue, which can be very difficult,” Provident, a marketing manager with a degree from Columbus College of Art and Design had to say about what prompted his design idea. “All of the ideas I had centered around illustrating the focus and determination it takes to finish the Johnnycake Jog on that two mile stretch of Route 20. It’s one of the great challenges in local road racing, especially when it’s hot and the sun is beating down on you.”
Provident also cited the relevance of the meme to 2014 as a reason for the ‘Keep Calm’ design, “I wanted the shirt to capture the moment, so if someone still has the shirt 10 or 20 years from now it references back to the meme from this time period.”
This year’s t-shirt designer has run 24 of his 25 Johnnycake Jogs in a row, with his first coming in 1985, prior to his senior year at Riverside High School where he ran cross country and track. Provident returned to the Jog in 1990, running it ever since, with his best time of 32:28 coming in 1991.
“The Jog is a tradition for me and it carries a tremendous amount of sentimental value,” he said about heading into his 26th Jog, “My parents would come out and spectate. They really enjoyed the event. It meant a lot to me to have them there. The race holds even more emotion for me now, because upon returning home from the 2012 race, I learned my Mom had passed away after a lengthy illness. She loved the Johnnycake Jog and I have no doubt she’d want me to keep my streak going as long as possible.”
Road races continue to be a family affair for the Provident family, who ran with his 11-year old daughter Elise during her first 5K this past June. Don continues to run as many local road races as he can, also completing a total of seven marathons and a 50K.
“I feel very fortunate to be able to design the shirt for a race that has meant so much to me over the years,” he continued. “Running in my 25th straight Johnnycake Jog and designing the shirt in the same year is a great experience for me. It’ll be difficult to top that combination moving forward.”

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About the Author

Alex is a Perry native and Baldwin-Wallace alumnus who covers the high school boys basketball, cross country, golf and track beats for the News-Herald. He is an avid music-lover and counter-culture consumer. Reach the author at AHooper@News-Herald.com
or follow Alex on Twitter: @lexhooper.